Building Communities for Tomorrow: One Person at a Time
Written by Cathy O. Robbins and Pamela L. Shipp
This article adds to the knowledge on community development, presents two case studies that support citizen participation and explores structural change to ensure community sustainability.
Introduction
The tragedies witnessed by the world on September 11, 2001 brought to the foreground the fundamental issues facing American communities. Not all will be confronted by the devastation that traumatized New York City or Washington, D.C. but to some degree, every community faces a moment of truth that tests its core values and beliefs. How a community pulls together during a time of crisis speaks to its basic nature for civic engagement. Prior to this horrific event, Americans were recognized for their love of freedom and their rugged individualism. Now Americans are also recognized for their generosity and collective spirit. In the aftermath of 9/11:
♦ 70% of Americans reported some form of charitable involvement.
♦ 58% of Americans gave a financial contribution.
As we watched people from diverse backgrounds come together to rebuild their cities, we have yet another lens to measure viable and sustainable communities.
The cornerstone of sustainable communities rests on the pillars of social capital. Communities accrue social capital by investing in activities that connect individual citizens to one another within interest groups as well as across the larger community (R. Ginnett)*. These connections define civic engagement where individual share mutually rewarding and reciprocal relationships. Trust grows out of these relationships. Even strangers can work together in harmony when they are connected in a sense of shared citizenship. Civic engagement requires focused civic leadership and active citizen participation.
The intent of this article is to add to our understanding of community development and to share with our readers ways that individuals can get involved to enrich their communities. We will present case studies of local community programs that support civic leadership and connections. We contend that individuals are social animals who seek out social networks to support their values and beliefs, in doing so individuals play a critical role in the condition and destiny of the community where they live; but if Darwin is correct, only the fittest will survive! We will focus our attention on local, municipal communities but we position this discussion within a global context.
*Robert Ginnett, Sr. Fellow, Center for Creative Leadership, (personal communication, November 2000)